Moratuwa Old Galle Road needs to be repaired immediately
The dilapidated condition of vast stretches of the Galle Road from Panadura to Moratuwa have now turned into giant muddy pools much to the inconvenience of drivers and pedestrians.
Residents pointed out that substandard construction works in the road development project implemented about five years ago resulted in this state. They pointed out that the asphalt layer had dropped off creating ruts and pitfalls.
Motorists expressed concern about neglecting repairs and maintenance of the Old Galle Road which is also the Panadura – Colombo bus route and exposing them to the danger of accidents. They said the vehicles attempting to avoid ruts and pitfalls would often run out of control, veer off the road, hit other vehicles, knock down pedestrians or fall into the side drains and crash into the garden walls.
A Member of the Moratuwa Municipal Council representing the area said he pointed out the sad state of the road at the Council meetings and even drew the attention of the poor maintenance of the road but to no avail.
A resident of Keselwatta, Panadura, Cyril Vithanage (45) said the buses would move very slow due to the dilapidated state of the road and that a journey from Panadura to Moratuwa took about one hour. “The road development project lasted about two years and the haphazard excavations and piling of road construction materials caused us severe inconvenience. However, with patience, we did cooperate . It is sad that the road has been left in a dilapidated state in a very short time of about five years. The road runs through a residential areas of dense population and industrial areas . Thousands of families, factories and business establishments along the road from Panadura to Moratuwa are facing hardship due to the dilapidated state of the road.” he said.
Residents of the area and the motorists requested Panadura UC, Moratuwa Municipal Council and the Road Development Authority to focus immediate attention on the Old Galle Road from Panadura to Moratuwa.